Muffler for internal-combustion engines.



w. w. McELRATH, JR; MUFFLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLiCATION FILED JUNE 3. I916.

Patented Nov. 6, 19 17.

3 SHEETS---SHEET I ill:

Quota;

W. W. McELRATH, JR. MUFFLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPUCATIQN HED IUNE3. I916.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SNEET 3- pressure.

WILLIAM W. MQELRATH, JIL, OF EAST RADFORD, VIRGINIA.

MUFFLER FOR INTEBNAL-GOK BUSTION- ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6.- 1 91 7-.

Application flled June 3, 1916. Serial No. 101,527.

has for its primary object to provide sim-' ple and effective means for mufliing the gases exhaustedfrom the engine cylinders prior to their discharge into the atmosphere.

It is another object of my invention to provide a device for the above purpose, em-

odying a mullle'r wheel or rotor mounted upon the crank shaft of the engine and inclosed within a water jacketed casing, said rotor having a series of peripheral pockets into which the gases are admitted for expansion and are delivered therefrom to an exhaust port at substantially atmospheric Another aim is to rovide a gas turbine engine that will consist of few parts easy to build and assemble, reducing wear to a minimum and cheap to construct and install.

' To accomplish these various objects, the

invention broadly stated comprises a rotor secured to a crank shaft, the rotor consisting of two sections, the peripheral edge of which has pockets formed therein, a 'casing or housing including a water jacket, ports for the ingress and egress of the water, and ports for the ingress and egress of the ex 'han'st gases to the rotor, said rotor being positioned between the connecting rods ofa reciprocating gas engine and the said casing or housing beingprovided with means to form a bearing for the crank shaft. "()ne practical form and assembly of the turbine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the exhaust sidebf the" reciprocating gas engine with the rotor and its casing in section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the casing or housing showing the several ports and v ,the w'ater jacket;

Fig. 3 IS a vertical section on the line 3-3 of :Fig; 2;- i

Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the rotor; and

.gradually yflarin'g from th .the periphery of the portion '32 f t Fig. 5 is a sectional view ofth'e rotor on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. 3 l

The block for the gas engine c linders, shown in Fig. 1 is designated byt e letter 1}, The inlet manifold 6 connects with the two inlet valves indicated at 7 and 8. These inlet valves are provided with the usualvalvestems. 9 and 10. Disposedadjacentto these inlet valves 1 and 8 are the exhaust valves 11 and l2 which are also provided with valve stems l3 and 141 To maintain these several valve stems in theirhope ia'tive position, the yokes 15 and 16 arej'prov idedil' These yokes may be secured tof'the block casting A in anysuitable manner, ione'form of which is shown by mansofjth'e stubs 17 and 18 and the nuts and 20'.

The water manifold forfthe'helated v is indicat d. at 2I in Fig. ivhi-e it is, shown communicating with the 'jiifthe cylindersand'the' writer jacket 22' chatter. The exhaust manifold, indicated, ait j23 is provided with thebran'ches 2.4 an(l"25,1as shown. f To connect this: ekhfa'u'stf rnanifdld 23 with the crankcase or housing, a'jsuitahle flange 26 is provided, as shown aud to cure this flange 'to -the casing, the holtsfl'l' r and 28 are employed;

The exhaustgasos from the iaise-e tengine cylinders are admitted through the pipe connection 29 to tliefenliaust- 23, to the housing'orfi-asing 305"Ihe passage, 31 is formcd inftfhie'annular p'ortion'ttg of the casing, into-which tliefgas's ai c admitted from the pipe .295 This nnliilh r-p 'r tioufiz of the casing )refral -)ly fprovidei'l inits inner surfacewithispace' form, ing 'expansir'n'ichambers i n'towvhi e enters through the poi-ts l a are The casing is projvidil vvith gr Mltrjaket, indicated at 35 formed betwecli thc 'ol'itcr" casing wall and'an inner spaced wall 36. This water jacket practically entirely surrounds the 31. The gases, entering-from the nmi fi'ild 2 3, passing into -thefgas "spat-e31 slj'i'rojiniling' the nozzle carrying mmh1mi-'--a2"pasta iiito the nozzles and striking the rotor are discharged after passing around in the casing a distance of more than 180 to the gas exhaust pi pc 37. The water coming from the centrifugal pump (not shown) enters at the" waterinlct 38 and is adapted to pass in 110 to --ttion around the crank shaft 53, suitable either direction around the gas chamber 31 formed between the walls 30 and 36 to the water outlet 39 at the top of the casing or ture which is adapted to form a bearing housing,30 as shown in Fig. 2. The water,

after leaving the turbine casing passes to the-cylinder water jacket.

The walls 30 and 36, as shown in Fig. 3, 'curveinwardly toward each other The walls are then extended inwardly and radially' so as to form usolid, member or web 40. This web 40 is provided with a central aper- When in cooperative relation \vth the flanges 4 1, asshown in Fig. 3. The webs 40 are the nuts 44 may also be used to hold the casspaced from each other in their vertical p ones so as to provide a space for the rotation of the web of the rotor therebetween.

The casing ,or housing may be formed in two sections and these two sections may be secured together in any suitable manner,

as by means of the bolts 42. These bolts'are 'shownin section in Fig. 2. The bolts 43 and ingtogether if it should be divided in a diffe at line.

e rotor is preferably circular in outline and may be formed into two parts or section s. 'The peripheral or rim portion of the rotor hus pockets formedtherein, asindicated at 45. These pockets are spaced from each other and this spaced relation 'is shown more articularly in Fig. 2, where they are dot in. The rim or peripheral portion of this rotor is disposed centrally upon a web each side of the hub are disposed' the flanges.

46 which is provided with a. hub 47. Upon 41' which may be secured to the hub by permit 45' whioh'is indicated" by the kevs 52.

means. of the cap bolts 48,33 shown. The two halves or portions of the rotor may -be secured together by means of the bolt 49. and the nuts- 49 passing through'the bosses 50 and 51'. The recesses adjacent the bosses the assembly of the two halves of the rotor: This hub 47 may be secured to the shaft" in any well known .m'anner, one of r This web. 46 may be provided with suit- "able apertures to reduce the weight of the 'rQtor and yet' .not take away from its or rigidity. To produce a true robnlaneingmeans may be employed to posifiongthe rotor in a running balance, one means being shown by the apertures 5+ -formed in or near the peripheral edge, of the rotor.

i be understood that the exhaust gases are dolivered from the engine cylinders through the pipe conncction23 and the ports or nozzlcs 34 into the pockets 45 of. the rotor. As

In the operation of my invention, it will the rotor pockets successively pass the pockets 33 in the annular member 32, the gases expand and when these gases are finally delivered through the exhaust 37, they are at substantially atmospheric pressure so that there will be practically no noise incident to the exhaust of the gases to the atmosphere It will he understood that any desired number of turbines may be em loyed, and as they are arranged between tlie connectin rods of the cylinder pistons upon the cran shaft, the will serve to materially reduce.

vibration in the operation of the engine h'linor changes in form and details of con strnction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of m invention or the scope of the appended c aims. Having described this invention, what is 1. A muffler forinternal combustion en.- gines including in combination with the'enine having a crank shaft, a rotor fixed upon t ie engine shaft between the cranks thereof, a relatively stationary annulus surrounding said rotor and provided with spaced pockets on its inner face and inlets thereto, said rotor being also provided with spaced pockets 4 in its periphery -in-o posed-relation tothe pockets in the amiu us, and a' casing surrounding the annulus and having a connection at one side of the rotor axis to the 'exhaust ports of theengine cylinders andprovided at thc oppositeside of the rotor-axis with a. port opening to the atmosphere.

2. A mufiler forinternal combustion engines including in combination with the engine having a crank shaft and case, a rotor fixed upon the engine shaft, a water jacketed casing inclosing the rotor and mounted within the crank case of the engine, a relativcly fixed annulus within said casing snrrounding the rotor, theinner'face (if said annulus and the periphery of the rotor being prqvidedwith spaced pockets, said annulus iaving inlet ports leadingito the respective I Ot' pockets from the. outer fact; of the-annulus,

and a pipe connection betwecnoncside of the'rasing and the exhaust ports of thorngine cylinders to supply the exhaust gas cs to the pockets in said annulus, said gases expamling into the pockets ofthe rotor inthe rotation thereof, and said casing. being fur'ther provided with an outlet port-for the expanded gases open to fl t-atmosphere; In testimony whereof I- heirennto ailix my I signature in the presence of'two witnesses. \VTLLTALI BIGELRATH; it:

' \Vitnosses:

A. Lucas, A. E. Canrrm. 

